Michigan State University

Personal and Academic Goals Statement

Pursuing Excellence

Becoming an Effective Teacher-Leader

Douglas D. Harrington
 On a Saturday morning in October one of my earliest memories the glow of the

television set is lost in the sunshine and the notes of The Victors fill the living room. Another

Saturday promises an opportunity for my father to watch the football team of his alma mater in

the company of his two young sons. It is an odd memory for a graduate from Michigan State

University, but, an unsurprising one, when you analyze its roots.

My father, a two-time graduate from the University of Michigan, instilled in me a hunger

to push my talents. Any opportunity to challenge myself in the academic, sporting, and social

arenas I eagerly pursued. As my senior year of high school approached and despite my fathers

hints towards his alma mater, I did not have any answers regarding my future education. In this

helpless moment, however, several influential teacher-leaders entered my life and revealed my

calling; I needed to become a mathematics instructor.

Given my inherited desire to pursue academic excellence, I sought the best secondary

education college experience in the country and found my answer Michigan State University.

Now three years removed from my last course on campus, I am seeking a Masters of Arts in

Teaching and Curriculum from that same university. I desire to be taught, challenged, and

molded into a teacher capable of affecting change in my schools community and academia at-

large.

Based on the programs standards, I am eager to refine and expand my professional skills,

specifically my depth of content knowledge and my repertoire of instructional practices.

Although understanding mathematics required extra diligence and effort, the beauty of repeated

patterns and humanitys quest to capture these patterns has always driven me to understand

mathematics. At times, however, I have struggled to effectively ignite this passion in others and
the MATC program offers a chance to academically analyze this interdependence. I look forward

to the opportunities to productively reflect on how my content knowledge and instructional

practices can be applied to encourage students to construct their own knowledge while also

experiencing the same wonder I have enjoyed. By looking at issues of practice and curriculum, I

will be able to design a plan which increases my effectiveness.

Additionally, I desire to communicate the storyline of mathematics through a coherent

and engaging curriculum. Content knowledge provides the backbone for effective lesson

planning; however, studying recent research and reflecting on personal practices identifies subtle

ways that concepts can be further organized to foster student success. Having a structured

academic environment with like-minded and, importantly, diverse individuals provides

invaluable opportunities outside the district level to analyze the role of curriculum. In the future,

I hope to develop an integrated task-based mathematics experience that teaches students

problem-solving skills applicable beyond my classrooms walls. Based on personal classroom

experience, these tasks are where the most interesting mathematical conclusions are found and I

am interested in honing my skills in this area.

Another personal goal, specific to the MATC program, is to understand how differences

in the learning community impact implemented practices and vice versa. Research illustrates

engagement and learning peak when students are invested and in control of the learning that

takes place in the classroom. I am interested in learning ways to identify interests and skill sets

within the learning community to design engaging and effective lessons. Specifically, can

mathematical analysis of social justice issues increase learning effectively in the classroom? In

order to answer such questions, time needs to be spent crafting and refining both instructional

practice and pedagogical beliefs.

 By completing this program, I will be prepared as a teacher leader who can serve as a

mentor in my learning community and profession. In taking time to refine my professional skills,

analyze curriculum development, and reflect on the diversity of the learning community, I will

be fully equipped to lead other teachers through similar experiences. Not only will I possess

passions and desires for change, but I will be prepared with the tools research and best

practices to truly make change a reality.

Michigan State University is the destination that offers the greatest opportunities for

professional enhancement and personal growth and the MATC program is where I look forward

to questioning my pedagogical beliefs and further refining my instructional practices. All

instructors and teachers have made the commitment to life-long learning so that we can instill

this belief in those we wish to touch.